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Legal requirements for Nominees and Candidates

For transparency, fairness, and compliance with applicable laws and the RIPE NCC Articles of Association, nominees and candidates for the RIPE NCC Executive Board must meet specific legal and policy requirements.

This explanation is provided for ease of understanding. For the full, official text, please refer to Article 9 in the Articles of Association. In case of any discrepancies, the Articles of Association takes precedence.

Candidate affiliations

To become a candidate for the RIPE NCC Executive Board, you must meet specific criteria.

Below is a clear explanation of the affiliations and relationships that mean someone cannot serve on the Executive Board, along with the reasons behind these rules. This is to avoid conflicts of interest and maintain the integrity of the Executive Board.

Candidates must not:

Work for the Same Organisation as a Current Board Member

  • You cannot be an employee of a legal entity or any of its affiliates if a current Executive Board member is also employed there.
  • Also note: If two or more candidates are employees for the same organisation, only one of them may be elected.

Have Significant Shared Ownership

  • You cannot be a significant shareholder (with controlling interest) in a company or its affiliates where a current Board member also holds significant ownership. This includes situations where:
    • Together, you and the Board member hold a controlling interest.
    • Either of you has full controlling interest in the company or affiliate.

Have Ownership Ties to a Board Member’s Employer

  • You cannot be a significant shareholder (with controlling interest) in a legal entity that employs a current Board member or its affiliates.

Be Employed by an Entity Owned by a Board Member

  • You cannot work for a legal entity or its affiliates where a current Board member is a significant shareholder with controlling interest.

Be a Partner or Colleague of a Board Member in a Partnership

  • You cannot be a partner or employee in a partnership where a current Board member is also a partner or employee.

Serve on the Boards of Other Internet Organisations

  • You cannot be a board member of:
    • Another Regional Internet Registry (RIR) - ARIN, APNIC, LACNIC, AFRINIC
    • ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
    • ISOC (Internet Society).
    • The ASO AC (Address Supporting Organization Address Council).

Why these restrictions exist

These rules ensure that:

  • Conflicts of interest are avoided: Candidates can make impartial decisions without external pressures or divided loyalties.
  • The Board remains independent: Members act solely in the best interests of the RIPE NCC and its community.
  • Transparency Is maintained: Members can trust the Executive Board’s governance.

Exceptions

Paragraphs (c) (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of Article 9 do not apply with regards to members of the Executive Board whose term expires at the General Meeting in which the elections are held.

This means that you can be a candidate for the Executive Board even if one of the current board members is an employee/shareholder in the same company as yourself but only if their term is expiring in the upcoming election.

Executive Board Code of Conduct

Candidates must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Executive Board candidates.

The Code of Conduct applies to Executive Board Candidates from the moment they become a candidate according to Article 9.1 of the Articles of Association until the deadline to raise any objections against the draft minutes of the General Meeting has passed.

Reports are made to a Code of Conduct Team which evaluates whether violations have occurred.

Violation of the Code of Conduct results in disqualification of the candidate.

Fraud or other financial misconduct

You cannot be a candidate for the Executive Board election if you have ever committed fraud or financial misconduct in any jurisdiction.

What nominees need to declare

Nominees need to sign a Candidate Statement declaring:

  1. That you do not have affiliations with the parties set out above.
  2. The legal entity you work for and any of its affiliates.
  3. Companies where you hold significant ownership and any of their affiliates.
  4. Partnerships you are part of, or employed by.
  5. That you have never committed any fraud or other financial misconduct in any jurisdiction.
  6. That you shall adhere to the Code of Conduct for candidates for the Executive Board.

More Information

The Executive Board Election process abides by the RIPE NCC Articles of Association. You can find the official text in Article 9 – Executive Board: Appointment, Suspension and Dismissal.

To be confirmed as a candidate for the election, nominees will need to:

Submit a certified copy of your Identification Document

This means that you will need to supply the RIPE NCC with a copy of your identification document which has been certified by an official.

Accepted Identification documents

  • Passport
  • Photocard Driving Licence
  • National Identity Card

You can ask the officials listed below to certify your identity document:

  • Notaries: Legal professionals who are trained in certification and are internationally recognised. They can certify documents with a notary seal, which is unique to each notary.

Contact us: If you have any questions or need further guidance, please contact our support team at agm@ripe.net. We are happy to assist you in making sure your document certification meets the required standards.